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FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN THE MEMBER STATES – THE LIMITS OF EUROPEAN UNION COMPETENCES AND THE CONSEQUENCES THEREOF

2026, 110, No. 1


Publication date

01.07.2026

Publishing model

open access

License type


Field

law studies

Discipline

criminology

Language of publication

English

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Article

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse the scope of the European Union’s regulatory and supervisory powers regarding elections, both within the scope of the European Union law, i.e., elections to the European Parliament and municipal elections as well as outside its scope, such as parliamentary or presidential elections. The article on the recent developments of EU authorities regarding the protection of electoral processes attempts to unify standards across Member States, as well as to expand current competences. The analysis thereby seeks to anticipate whether, in the current state of development of EU law, a violation of the principle of free and fair elections can amount to a breach of Article 2 TEU and the values expressed therein.

Keywords:

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